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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23153212">it's hard to dance with the devil on your back</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicaLyss/pseuds/MagicaLyss'>MagicaLyss</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Sky Full of Stars {Irondad Febuwhump} [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt Tony Stark, Iron Man 1, Peter Parker Needs a Break, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Peter Parker is a Mess, Protective Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 11:14:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,181</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23153212</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicaLyss/pseuds/MagicaLyss</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Febuwhump Day 21-24  – Lethal &amp; Drown &amp; Unwanted &amp; Abandoned </p><p>Tony woke to the same damp old cave he’d woken up in last time. Except one thing is different.</p><p>There’s a boy, no older than sixteen years old, chained up in an identical wooden chair across from him. The boy is unconscious, curly hair falling in front of his eyes, head resting against his own chest.</p><p>A boy.</p><p>Not a man. Not an adult. Just a child.</p><p>In a cave, somewhere in Afghanistan with crazy terrorists who’ve already done open-heart surgery on Tony without anesthetics. Who knows what they would do, or have already done, to the boy across from him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Sky Full of Stars {Irondad Febuwhump} [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619647</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>615</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>it's hard to dance with the devil on your back</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>AU in which Peter Parker is with Tony in Iron Man 1's Afghanistan</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tony woke to the same damp old cave he’d woken up in last time. Except one thing is different.<br/><br/></p><p>There’s a boy, no older than sixteen years old, chained up in an identical wooden chair across from him. The boy is unconscious, curly hair falling in front of his eyes, head resting against his own chest.<br/><br/></p><p><em>A boy</em>.<br/><br/></p><p>Not a man. Not an adult. Just a child.<br/><br/></p><p>In a cave, somewhere in Afghanistan with crazy terrorists who’ve already done open-heart surgery on Tony without anesthetics. Who knows what they would do, or have already done, to the boy across from him.<br/><br/></p><p>“Hey!” Tony says, too scared to lift his voice too high in case they come back for him, but the fear that this boy is hurt runs just a little deeper than the fear of the terrorists. “C’mon, kid, wake up.”<br/><br/></p><p>The boy groans, hands clenching into white-knuckled fists, standing out against the rusted metal of his thick handcuffs.<br/><br/></p><p>“Five more minutes?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Open your fucking eyes, kid, and let me know if you really want another five minutes here,” Tony snaps. He doesn’t know <em>why</em>, but his wrists aren’t cuffed. He’s not attached to his chair in any way, other than the fear pinning him in place, and the pain flaring in his chest.<br/><br/></p><p>The boy blinks his eyes open, squinting at Tony. His left eye is bruised almost shut, the purple-blue crossing over his nose and splaying out across his opposite cheek. But he doesn’t pay it any attention as he looks at the bandages on Tony’s chest.<br/><br/></p><p>“Sorry bout your heart,” the boy offers, shrugging. His bambi-brown eyes trace up to Tony’s face, taking in the obvious fear and worry. “They’re not coming back for you. Not to hurt you, at least. They’re going to ask you to build one of your missiles.”<br/><br/></p><p>“How do you know that?” Tony refrains from trying to find a way to get the boy out of his chains.<br/><br/></p><p>“Been here for a little longer than a few months, now. I know a lot about their plans and desires. You being hurt wasn’t part of the plan. They wanted you in peak condition, actually.”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony’s jaw drops, eyes widening at the thought. Months. In this cave. By himself from what Tony’s aware of.<br/><br/></p><p>“You’re just a kid,” Tony says, fingers twitching against the arms of his chair.<br/><br/></p><p>“Trust me, I’m well aware of what kids my age should be out doing, but I was <em>never </em>a child, Mister Stark. Never was, never have been, never will be, at this rate,” the boy says, too casually for Tony’s liking. “Anyways, I’m Peter, just so you know. Peter Parker.”<br/><br/></p><p>Something about the boy’s face and last name strike Tony, and he blatantly stares for a few moments until it clicks. “Richard Parker.”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter winces, fists tightening. “Unfortunately, yeah, that’s my dad. Not quite dad of the year, though, huh?”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony thinks back to the last time he saw that name. In the news, probably. Richard Parker died years back, but Tony doesn’t remember ever knowing about a child.<br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah,” Peter says. “He had this whole experiment thing going. He wanted to see if he could invent a serum to regenerate limbs and heal even the worst illnesses, or some bullshit. He got it to work for spiders and then he needed a human trial. Guess having a baby with a few too many medical concerns was enough for him.”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony’s heart clenches. He knows he’s only known Peter for a few minutes, maybe a half-hour, but fuck he knows Peter doesn’t deserve the cards he was dealt.<br/><br/></p><p>“How’d you end up <em>here</em>?” Tony asks.<br/><br/></p><p>“He couldn’t handle a messed up kid, I guess. He sent me to a facility where I could get ‘trained’ or some bullshit. This was a job.”<br/><br/></p><p>“To get chained up in a cave?”<br/><br/></p><p>The boy <em>laughs</em>. Honest to god laughs. “No, my job is to be like their slave or whatever. I can be a translator. I can help you do what they need you to do. People pay a lot of money for enhanced kids if you could believe it.”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony doesn’t want to believe it. He doesn’t want to think about this child being turned into a slave because of somebody else’s mistake.<br/><br/></p><p>“Can you get us out of here?” Tony asks because he supposes he has to know.<br/><br/></p><p>But Peter just laughs again like it’s the funniest thing in the world. “Don’t you think we’d already be long gone if I could get out? Vibranium cuffs, strongest metal there is.”<br/><br/></p><p>The chains clink as Peter lifts his hands, just a few inches away from the chair. There’s the same sort of metal wrapped around his waist, and more around his ankles.<br/><br/></p><p>With his hands lifted, Tony sees the dark red stain covering Peter’s grey long sleeve.<br/><br/></p><p>“Fuck, what happened?”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter looks down like he hadn’t noticed it before and then he shrugs. “Disobeying, probably. I tried to tell them to give you something for the pain. I tried to convince them to take you to a better doctor. They don’t really like it when I try to contradict them.”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony wants to ask if he’s okay, wants to demand that Peter never do something like that again, wants to tell the kid that everything will be okay.<br/><br/></p><p>But nothing comes out.<br/><br/></p><p>And judging by the easy shrug the kid gives him again, and the sad look in his eye when they flicker over Tony’s bandaged chest, Tony won’t be able to keep the kid from being selfless.<br/><br/></p><p>Instead, he settles for a quiet, “God, kid.”<br/><br/></p><p>And the kid, hands shaking and eyes haunted, nods in agreement.<br/><br/></p><p><br/>*<br/><br/></p><p><br/>Tony cries out when the men who had entered the room head straight for Peter.<br/><br/></p><p>The men block Tony’s view of the kid, crowding around the boy’s chair.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m cooperating!” he hears Peter cry out, before he hears the telltale noise of a hit, echoing in their little cave. “I said I was cooperating!”<br/><br/></p><p>Words are spit out in another language, one Tony couldn’t even try to understand, but then Peter’s being tossed onto the ground by Tony’s feet.<br/><br/></p><p>Tony reaches for him, never happier to not be chained up, but the men get there quicker, shoving Tony’s hands away and one of them lands a solid kick to Peter’s stomach with their thick boots.<br/><br/></p><p>“They want you to build a Jericho missile,” Peter coughs out, rolling up onto his knees even as he gets kicked again, making his movements weaker and uncoordinated.<br/><br/></p><p>“A missile?” Tony repeats stupidly, not knowing how to help as Peter goes sprawling back on the ground, a relentless storm of kicks following.<br/><br/></p><p>Peter cries out, curling up by Tony’s feet, arms around his head.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’ll do it!” Tony shouts, lifting his hands only to let them hover uselessly in the air. “I’ll build it! Please, just stop.”<br/><br/></p><p>The men take a few steps back, muttering in the same foreign language.<br/><br/></p><p>Finally, one of the men steps forward and grabs Peter by the hair, dragging the boy to his knees and telling him something.<br/><br/></p><p>There’s blood staining Peter’s mouth and dirt caking every inch of his body, but he still meets the man’s eye and nods.<br/><br/></p><p>A disgusting smile creeps onto the man’s face and he lets Peter fall back to the dirt without warning, turning to his men gleefully.<br/><br/></p><p>One man steps forward and clasps a thick band of metal around the kid’s neck, undoing the rest of the chains.<br/><br/></p><p>The kid doesn’t make any noises, staying still and quiet like he’s finally decided to stay out of harm’s way.<br/><br/></p><p>The first man grabs Peter by the hair again, lifting him to his knees and Peter doesn’t fight it, keeping his eyes downcast, jaw clenched.<br/><br/></p><p>As the man speaks, Peter translates to Tony.<br/><br/></p><p>“They want a list of the things you need to build the missile. They want you to start making it now, the only chance you’ll have of being set free is if you do what they ask.”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony knows what that means, he’ll never be set free. But he can’t stop the question that tumbles from his mouth. “What about you?”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter offers a watery smile at that but doesn’t actually acknowledge the answer, continuing to translate to Tony about what they want. And then he translates everything Tony needs to the men, a plan already formulating.<br/><br/></p><p>Tony doesn’t know for sure what his grand plan will be, all he knows is that he’s going to get Peter out of here if it’s the last thing he does.<br/><br/></p><p>The men finally leave with Tony’s list of equipment, leaving Tony to fall out of his chair to the ground where Peter curls up.<br/><br/></p><p>“Hey, hey, buddy, it’s going to be okay, you hear me? It’s going to be okay.”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter lifts his head, eyes welling with tears and blood dripping down the side of his head where one of the boots must’ve nailed him, arms wrapped around his stomach, and shakes his head.<br/><br/></p><p>“It’s not!” he cries, pressing his face against Tony’s knees. “It’s not going to be okay. You can’t promise me that.”<br/><br/></p><p>Smoothing back Peter’s unruly curls, Tony sighs. “I know I can’t promise you much, kiddo, but I promise you that I’m going to find a way out of here.”<br/><br/></p><p>And Peter cries, hiding his face away against Tony’s knees on the dirty cave floor, and he cries.<br/><br/></p><p>When his head turns, Tony sees the words branded into the metal sitting around Peter’s neck.<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em>Stark Industries.<br/><br/></em>
</p><p><br/>*<br/><br/><br/>“They said they’d hurt you if I disobeyed,” Peter says, offering the can of green beans to Tony. “They said that because I’d gotten too good at taking my own punishments, they’d punish you if I put a toe out of line, and vice versa.”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony doesn’t care too much about his own wellbeing. But there’s a spike of fear at the idea that if Tony does something wrong, it’ll be Peter getting punished for it.<br/><br/></p><p>“Stop it,” Peter says, rubbing his hands together to try to retain some warmth. “I know what you’re thinking, but I don’t give a shit if I get hurt for you. I’ve been dealing with this for as long as I can remember. I <em>need </em>you to keep doing things out of line because you made me a promise.”<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m not letting you get hurt, kid.” Tony shakes his head, passing the green beans back to Peter. “I’m not going to let that happen.”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter rolls his eyes, not accepting the can. “Sorry but you promised me you’re going to get us out of here. So if you’re following through with that deal, I need you to do some things out of line. Ends justify the means and all that bullshit.”<br/><br/></p><p>It’s a solid point. How is Tony supposed to get them out of here if he follows all the rules to the exact? As much as he doesn’t want the kid to get hurt, when he gets Peter home, he’ll be able to fix him up.<br/><br/></p><p>The cave gets dark as they finish up their beans, wordlessly curling up on the small cot together. Tony wraps his arms around the boy, hoping that he can protect Peter better if anybody comes back, but also for the little bit of comfort it provides the two of them in the cold cave.<br/><br/></p><p>There’s a part of him that’s revolted by the closeness, the vulnerability of being here with a stranger, but that stranger is a <em>child</em>, one that Tony would already protect with everything he has. Everything that’s led up to this moment, every war profit and weapon, every drunken night spent with nameless faces, none of it matters.<br/><br/></p><p>All that matters is getting Peter out of here.<br/><br/></p><p>“You know,” Peter murmurs, jolting Tony out of his thoughts. He can’t even make out the kid’s face in the darkness. “I won’t have anywhere to go when you get me out, <em>if </em>you get me out. I don’t have a family waiting for me on the other side of all this. The only people who were supposed to be my family are the people who got me into this in the first place. I’m not like you, Mister Stark.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Trust me, kid, I don’t have anybody waiting for me either.”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter shakes his head, the movement visible in the darkness. “No, I’ve seen the news, Mister Stark. You’ve got Miss Potts, you’ve got Mister Hogan and Mister Rhodes. You’ve got the entire <em>world </em>caring about what’s happened to you. I’ve got… I’ve got nobody.”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony wants to argue, wants to say that Pepper, Happy, and Rhodey are probably glad Tony’s gone. That after all the shit he put them through, they’ll be thriving without him. But that’s not the part that matters.<br/><br/></p><p>Instead, he presses a kiss to Peter’s forehead, the way he remembers his mom did for him after nightmares, and murmurs, “You’ve got me now, kid.”<br/><br/></p><p><br/>*<br/><br/><br/>The men deliver the things that Tony asked for, and the work begins.<br/><br/></p><p>Peter, it turns out, is a genius.<br/><br/></p><p>He says it’s because he didn’t do much in the facilities he was kept at other than learn. He used to build shitty electronics out of things he found in dumpsters, and he was allowed to go to the library to check out books whenever he pleased so long as he stayed out of the public eye and used a fake name.<br/><br/></p><p>So, the ideas start pouring from them, creating blueprints and diagrams for a suit. A superhero suit out of the metal they were given for the missile.<br/><br/></p><p>They had to keep it a secret, they had to be extra careful about what the camera saw, and the days were passing, turning into <em>weeks</em> that they’d been there from what Tony could tell.<br/><br/></p><p>Tony got hurt a few times. A few awful times where they shoved his head underwater until he thought he would die. But it was only a few times. Peter was always extra careful that if either of them got blamed, it would be Tony, so Peter would get hurt for it.<br/><br/></p><p>And Peter got hurt <em>a lot</em>. Too much.<br/><br/></p><p>He would be dragged out of the room by the thick metal cuff around his neck, a shock collar Tony learned the hard way, and he’d be tossed back into the cave, sopping wet and shaking, most of the time unconscious.<br/><br/></p><p>There was nothing Tony could do.<br/><br/></p><p>Nothing.<br/><br/></p><p>All he could do was hold Peter close when he fell into the room and hope like hope was enough.<br/><br/></p><p><br/>*<br/><br/><br/>The men don’t drag Peter out one of the days, they instead handcuff Tony to the cot and carelessly toss Peter to the dirty floor.<br/><br/></p><p>Tony doesn’t understand any of the words they spit in Peter’s direction, but the way the kid flinches and cries at the words, Tony gets the gist of it. Even if he didn’t, it’s easy to understand what they’re implying by the way they hit Peter.<br/><br/></p><p>“Please,” Peter begs, curling up on the floor, crying out as a boot hits him in the stomach. “Please, I can’t- I can’t-”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter’s words get garbled by the noises of the men shouting, and it takes a moment for Tony to understand.<br/><br/></p><p>Peter isn’t begging them to stop. He’s begging them to take him out so Tony doesn’t have to see.<br/><br/></p><p>And Tony can’t say anything or else it could count as disobeying, and Peter gets hurt for Tony’s mistakes. He doesn’t even know what his mistake was this time.<br/><br/></p><p>“No, please!” Peter begs, curling up tighter on the ground. One of the men grabs his arm and drags him up just enough to produce a syringe and plunge it into his arm.<br/><br/></p><p>The syringe has <em>Stark Industries </em>branded on the side.<br/><br/></p><p>“That’s lethal,” one of the men say, dropping Peter to the floor who writhes and sobs.<br/><br/></p><p>They hit him a few more times and then turn to Tony, saying something in another language. When Peter doesn’t say anything, they kick him in the back.<br/><br/></p><p>“They- They think you’re not follow- following the rules,” Peter says, voice shaking almost as bad as his hands as he tries to get them underneath him.<br/><br/></p><p>“Fuck them,” Tony says. “Fuck this.”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter shakes his head, tears dripping onto the dirt. “Mister Stark-”<br/><br/></p><p>“Tell them I’m making the missile like they asked, it just takes time. We just need time.”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter chokes out the translation to the men, coughing blood up onto the ground.<br/><br/></p><p>“It’s not- They said we have to hurry, Mister Stark. They said- They said we’re running out of time. Please, you’ve gotta- please, I can’t- It hurts, Mister Stark, please- I can’t-”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony doesn’t think he’ll ever forget the scream that tears through the air, Peter’s body convulsing before he falls to the ground, eyes closed, breathing heavy and erratic.<br/><br/></p><p>They shocked him.<br/><br/></p><p>They drugged him and they hit him and shocked him.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m going to fucking kill you!” Tony shouts, voice breaking. “I’m going to kill every single one of you for this!”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter gets kicked a few more times for the threats. And guilt rushes over Tony like a tidal wave. He tugs at the handcuffs, desperate to just <em>hold </em>the poor kid.<br/><br/></p><p>“Please, I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry. Is that what you want to hear? I’m <em>sorry</em>. Just let me hold him. Please, <em>god</em>, just let me hold him.”<br/><br/></p><p>But they don’t. They don’t let Tony out of his cuffs, they don’t move Peter from where he’s curled up on the floor, they don’t say anything.<br/><br/></p><p>They walk out.<br/><br/></p><p>And all Tony can do is sit and watch Peter’s chest to make sure it keeps rising and falling.<br/><br/></p><p>He tells Peter about his mom. He talks about her piano skills and the food she used to cook, about how much she loved his father unconditionally even if his father wasn’t the best. He talks about his father and their rocky relationship, how their death forced him so young to take over Stark Industries.<br/><br/></p><p>He talks about Pepper and her no-nonsense mindset. About Happy and despite being the head of security, can’t work technology for the life of him. About Rhodey and how he’s stood by Tony’s side as his best friend for decades, without fail, Rhodey’s always there. (He doesn’t bother saying that Rhodey’s <em>not </em>here now when Tony needs him most.)<br/><br/></p><p>He talks until his voice is raw and hoarse, until the fire dies across the room, until his eyelids are drooping.<br/><br/></p><p>And then Peter moans in pain.<br/><br/></p><p>“Mister Stark?” he calls out before he even opens his eyes.<br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, buddy, I’m right here, I promise.”<br/><br/></p><p>It doesn’t soothe the boy like he was hoping, instead his bottom lip begins to tremble, and he lifts his shaking hands out in Tony’s direction.<br/><br/></p><p>A simple request.<br/><br/></p><p>Peter wants to be held.<br/><br/></p><p>“I can’t, kiddo. I’m all chained up over here. I can’t get to you,” Tony says, rattling his chains for effect. “You’re not chained up, though. You can come get to me.”<br/><br/></p><p>And the kid, he <em>cries</em>.<br/><br/></p><p>“Mister Stark.”<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m here, kid. I’m here, you’ve got me. Don’t cry, I hate it when you cry,” Tony says, surprising himself at how much he genuinely has grown to care for the kid over the past few weeks.<br/><br/></p><p>“Mister Stark.”<br/><br/></p><p>Tears spring to Tony’s eyes as well hearing the kid sound so broken. “I’m right here, kiddo. I’m right here. It’s going to be okay. I promised you, remember?”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter’s face crumbles. “Mister Stark, they’re coming back. They’re- They’re coming back. I’m- I can’t do it again. Please, I can’t- It hurts so bad, Mister Stark, please, I can’t-”<br/><br/></p><p><em>Lethal</em>, echoes in his head. All he wants is to hold Peter.<br/><br/></p><p>The door slams open again, the same men filing into the room, this time, a bucket of water held between a few of them.<br/><br/></p><p>They’ve both been through this song and dance before.<br/><br/></p><p>“No!” Tony cries out, pulling at his restraints. “No! Don’t fucking touch him!”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter sobs, trying in vain to escape the hands reaching out for him, but he’s weak, drugs coursing through his body and beaten within an inch of his life.<br/><br/></p><p>There’s nothing he can do.<br/><br/></p><p>There’s nothing Tony can do.<br/><br/></p><p>Later, long after Peter wakes up after passing out from the waterboarding, Peter crawls over to Tony, rips the cuffs away from his wrists, and they hold each other close and cry.<br/><br/></p><p>And Peter lives. Like he always does. And he doesn’t stop taking all of the hits for both of them.<br/><br/></p><p>The next day, Peter’s too hurt to leave the cot.<br/><br/></p><p>He curls up in a little ball, low whines escaping his throat when he can’t help it, body trembling miserably.<br/><br/></p><p>It didn’t help that they waterboarded him in cold water. It made the shivering relentless.<br/><br/></p><p>And after the first time, Tony learned that Peter couldn’t thermoregulate.<br/><br/></p><p>“You okay, bud?” Tony asks quietly, kneeling beside the cot to push back Peter’s curls, nearly flinching at the heat radiating from the kid’s forehead. Fever, of course.<br/><br/></p><p>Peter’s hazy eyes slowly meet Tony’s, empty and haunted. “M’okay.”<br/><br/></p><p>It’s a blatant lie, but Tony doesn’t bother pointing it okay. “Okay, buddy. I’m going to get some work done, alright? But you stay right here and rest, and you let me know if you need anything, alright?”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony tugs the thin blanket around Peter’s shoulders, gently tucking him in.<br/><br/></p><p>“Okay,” Peter whispers, voice hoarse and broken. “Be careful.”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony isn’t sure whether he means that Tony should be careful and not get caught doing bad things so Peter doesn’t get hurt again, or if he means to be careful because he’s scared he won’t be able to protect Tony himself.<br/><br/></p><p>Either way, Tony nods and offers a weak smile. “Soon, kiddo, soon, I promise.”<br/><br/></p><p>It’s not enough. Soon would never be enough. Peter shouldn’t have been in this situation in the first place.<br/><br/></p><p>Peter just nods once, curling up a little tighter as his small shoulders tremble.<br/><br/></p><p>He’s going to get Peter out of here. Get the kid back to the tower to get some needed medical attention, give him a real bed, a real room, a real <em>home</em>. He had to.<br/><br/></p><p>So, he forces himself to cross the room, leaving Peter alone in the cot, looking small and young, and makes himself focus on the task at hand.<br/><br/></p><p>He was going to get Peter home.<br/><br/></p><p>No matter what.<br/><br/></p><p><br/>*<br/><br/><br/>Three fucking months.<br/><br/></p><p>Three godawful, scarring, life-changing months that they spend in the cave, working relentlessly on their project.<br/><br/></p><p>But it’s finally complete and their plan is in action to get them out of here.<br/><br/></p><p>“You ready, bud?” Tony asks softly, cupping the boy’s face. He never thought he’d be the parental type, never thought he’d be a good person for anybody to idolize, but he’s all that Peter has and he has to be enough.<br/><br/></p><p>Peter’s eyes are wide and glassy, but there’s a strong determination shining within him as he offers a grim smile.<br/><br/></p><p>“Always, of course. Let’s get this show on the road.”<br/><br/></p><p>And their plan commences.<br/><br/></p><p>Everything works according to plan. The suit, the bomb explosion, it goes <em>well</em>.<br/><br/></p><p>But then the panic is showing in Peter’s eyes, fear blazing through the determination. “We don’t have enough time.”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony frowns down at the suit encasing his body, holding him to the wall, and the loading bar filling too slowly, and the sound of feet and guns approaching quickly.<br/><br/></p><p>Peter’s face falls and his eyes are teary as he leans his head against Tony’s chest, taking a deep breath.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m sorry,” he whispers, taking a step back and schooling his face into bravery. “I’m going to buy you some time. Follow the plan.”<br/><br/></p><p>“No!” Tony shouts, trying in vain to get his arms off the wall, to stop Peter from making this mistake, but there’s nothing he can do but watch as Peter races off down the hallway, grabbing a gun off one of the men who got taken down by the explosion.<br/><br/></p><p>There’s nothing Tony can do but follow the plan and just <em>hope</em> he’ll find Peter on the other side of it all.<br/><br/></p><p>So he rips himself off the wall, guns blazing and starts off through the twisting cave.<br/><br/></p><p><br/>There are no problems as Tony makes his way through the memorized plan, carelessly killing anybody that crosses his path.<br/><br/></p><p>These were the people who hurt Peter, he doesn’t give a shit about them.<br/><br/></p><p>The light is blinding when he reaches the entrance to the cave, freezing in his steps when he sees the kid.<br/><br/></p><p>“Peter,” Tony breathes, pushing the mask off his face and falling to his knees next to the boy sprawled on the ground.<br/><br/></p><p>Peter has the audacity to grin up at Tony, fumbling fingers grabbing his arm. “Did I do a good job?”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony chokes out a sob, gently cupping Peter’s face. “You did wonderful, buddy. Now we’ve gotta get you out of here, okay? We’ve gotta get you home.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t have a home, Mis’er S’ark.”<br/><br/></p><p>“No, kiddo, you have a home now. Told you, you couldn’t get rid of me that easily, huh?” Tony says, shaking his head. “I’ll be back for you, okay? I promise.”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter nods like he doesn’t believe it and Tony can’t help but to think of Peter when he was a baby, imagining chubby cheeks and a gummy smile and the biggest bambi-brown eyes, being left behind by his father, never to see him again.<br/><br/></p><p>Tony can’t help but to think about Peter growing up asking where his parents were, what happened to them, why they never came back for him.<br/><br/></p><p>And now he’s being told to wait, by himself, again. Tony can’t help but to think about all the broken promises, to the point where Peter won’t even dare to believe this one.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’ll be right back, buddy. Got to make sure it’s safe before I take you anywhere, okay? I’ll be back before you know it, just keep your eyes open, alright?”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter nods again, and lets his hand fall from Tony’s arms, offering a watery smile.<br/><br/></p><p>Tony presses a kiss to Peter’s head before he turns towards the opening of the cave to get them to safety.<br/><br/></p><p><br/>*<br/><br/><br/>Tony scoops Peter into his arms without preamble, tucking Peter close to his chest and hoping the metal isn’t too hot against the kid’s skin, it doesn’t help that Tony’s already torched the place and they’ll need to fly through it.<br/><br/></p><p>“Got you, kiddo, I’ve got you, just like I promised,” Tony murmurs, taking off towards the sky.<br/><br/></p><p>They did it, they’re out of that godawful cave, and Peter is tucked in his arms.<br/><br/></p><p>The sky is close enough to touch, heat falling beneath them, and they shoot out of the little village towards the sandy ravines.<br/><br/></p><p>Tony keeps Peter close, even as the boots run out of fuel and they finish their arc towards the sand too fast.<br/><br/></p><p>Flipping in the air, Tony keeps Peter cradled on his chest and hits the sand on his back. He loses grip of Peter as soon as they hit the ground, the momentum throwing them through the sand.<br/><br/></p><p>For a moment, his vision whites out.<br/><br/></p><p>And then he’s fumbling to rip the metal off him and stumble through the sand towards Peter’s body.<br/><br/></p><p>He can hear a helicopter somewhere overhead and he’s reminded that it’s been <em>three months</em> since he got taken (<em>sixteen fucking years since Peter was</em>) but people were still searching for him. Despite the helicopter, Tony doesn’t bother trying to wave it down. Instead, he heads straight for Peter.<br/><br/></p><p>“C’mon, buddy, not the time to sleep just yet. Wake on up, kid, I still need you,” Tony says, carefully drawing Peter into his chest.<br/><br/></p><p>There’s blood. A lot of it. Staining the front of the kid’s shirt, but it’s almost always stained with blood, so Tony doesn’t find himself as worried about it. He’s more worried about the rattling breaths Peter’s taking in and the way his ice-blue lips are smeared with blood, despite the heat pounding down on them.<br/><br/></p><p>“C’mon, kiddo, I promised you I was going to get you out of there and <em>home</em>. I’ve grown attached to someone for the first time in like<em> a decade</em>, so it would be cruel of you to just ditch me now.”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter’s eyes blink open at him, squinting under the sunlight. A lazy smile touches his face and his muscles relax.<br/><br/></p><p>“Missed the sun,” he says, voice slurring and hoarse. “Thank you, Mister Stark.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t thank me yet, kid. I’m getting you to the best doctors in the world and then I’m showing you to your new home, just like I promised.”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter’s trembling fingers curl into Tony’s shirt, clinging to him like a lifeline. “I don’t wanna die, Mister Stark. Please, I can’t- I can’t die, please-”<br/><br/></p><p>“It’s okay, kid. It’s okay, I’ve got you.”<br/><br/></p><p>There’s pounding footsteps heading towards them and all Tony can think is he <em>needs </em>to protect Peter, so he wraps his arms tight around Peter who trembles in his grip.<br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t fucking touch him!” Tony snarls protectively, cupping the back of the kid’s neck and holding his head against the crook of his neck.<br/><br/></p><p>“Tony, it’s just me, man. It’s okay.”<br/><br/></p><p>Gripping Peter tighter, Tony looks up to find-<br/><br/></p><p>“Rhodey?” Tony sobs, hanging onto Peter. He can’t even imagine how wrecked they both look, crying in the sand. “Rhodey, fuck, the kid- he needs help. He needs- Fuck, you’ve gotta-”<br/><br/></p><p>“Let’s you guys home, alright? It’s going to be okay. You have to trust me though.”<br/><br/></p><p>Rhodey looks like he’s going to take Peter from him, arms outstretched, and the kid cowers, crying out in fear.<br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t touch him, please, fuck, don’t- I’ve got him, okay? I’ve got him,” Tony says, clutching the kid closer.<br/><br/></p><p>Lifting his hands in surrender, Rhodey takes a couple of steps back from them, watching as Tony scoops Peter into his arms, cradling him against his chest as he had before.<br/><br/></p><p>Peter hides his head against the crook of Tony’s neck, burning forehead pressing against Tony’s skin, shaking in his arms, tears spilling over his shirt.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’ve got you, kiddo, I’ve got you,” Tony murmurs, stumbling forwards. Rhodey gets a good grip on his upper arm and helps haul them towards the helicopter.<br/><br/></p><p>“Mister Stark,” Peter whines quietly. “I- I-”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony presses a kiss to Peter’s forehead, ignoring the strange look Rhodey sends him. “I’ve got you. You’re going to be okay. Remember, I promised you.”<br/><br/></p><p>There’s nothing much Tony can do but spew reassurances like they can fix this.<br/><br/></p><p>There’s nothing he can do but hold <em>his </em>kid close and hope like hope means anything.<br/><br/></p><p><br/>*<br/><br/><br/> As soon as Tony’s cleared in medical, aside from things like starvation and dehydration and sleep-deprivation, among the whole heart surgery thing, plus some pretty nasty burns from the suit, Tony begs everyone he sees to take him to Peter.<br/><br/></p><p>He doesn’t care if he looks like a pathetic version of <em>The Tony Stark</em>. He doesn’t care if he looks like a wreck.<br/><br/></p><p>All he wants is to hold his kid.<br/><br/></p><p>Is that too much to ask?<br/><br/></p><p>Thankfully, Pepper arrives to medical pretty quickly, despite everything.<br/><br/></p><p>“I need to see Peter,” Tony says before everything else. He doesn’t give a shit about himself or about the company or about the media. “I need- Pepper, I need to see him.”<br/><br/></p><p>Pepper sits at the edge of his bed, gently resting her hand on his ankle. “What you need to do is calm down, Tony. Peter’s still in surgery. He’s going to be okay, but you can’t see him just yet.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Tears for your long lost boss?” Tony says because he just wants to pretend like he doesn’t feel like somebody scooped his chest clean.<br/><br/></p><p>Pepper lets out a watery laugh. “Yeah, I hate job hunting.”<br/><br/></p><p>“I can’t make weapons anymore,” Tony says. “You can’t talk me out of it. The people there, they- I can’t do it.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Okay,” Pepper says like she gets it, like she understands. “We’ll figure it all out later, okay? For now, I want you to rest.”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony shakes his head, awkwardly shoving the blankets off his legs with his left arm in a sling. “No, you don’t understand, I need all production of weapons to be frozen. I need all the exports to be stopped. I need every piece of weaponry with my name on it to be taken back and destroyed. I need you to- to fix this. I’ve made too many mistakes and I need to fix it, Pep.”<br/><br/></p><p>Pepper’s hand is soft and cold against his cheek, carefully cradling his face. “Of course, Tony, right away. Do you want to talk about it?”<br/><br/></p><p>“They hurt the kid with <em>my </em>weapons, Pep. They- They used my weapons to kill innocent people. My weapons hurt my kid. I can’t- I can’t have them falling into the wrong hands anymore.”<br/><br/></p><p>The smile that touches Pepper’s face is proud, proud of Tony, which isn’t something Tony thought he’d ever see. “Your kid?”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony’s eyes flicker down to the bed, looking everywhere but at Pepper. “I’m not going to let him down. Not now.”<br/><br/></p><p>“It’s a good look on you, Tony. This whole caring thing you’ve got going for you, it’s nice to see. Despite everything, I’m glad Peter has you.”<br/><br/></p><p>They lapse into silence, Pepper’s eyes on him but he doesn’t look up.<br/><br/></p><p>Eventually, Pepper pats his leg once more and stands from the bed. “Get some rest, Tony. You deserve it. I’ll figure the company out.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Send me any updates through JARVIS, alright? I want every weapon recalled immediately.”<br/><br/></p><p>“I’ll make it my top priority, Tony.” She stops at the door, eyes glancing down at his bare chest, arc reactor glowing brightly. “He’ll be okay, you know that, right?”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony forces himself to nod. “If possible, could you get Happy to make up the guest bedroom next to mine? Properly set up for a teenage boy?”<br/><br/></p><p>Pepper nods, hesitates like she wants to ask him something, but decides better of it and ducks out of the room.<br/><br/></p><p>After the past three months in the cave, barely hours apart from the kid, Tony can’t sleep by himself. He’s used to curling up in the small cot with Peter, holding him tight to try to stop the relentless shivering.<br/><br/></p><p>Now, he’s expected to rest when he hasn’t even <em>seen </em>Peter in who knows how long. He’s expected to be okay with leaving Peter alone with strangers while he does nothing.<br/><br/></p><p>He’s spent too long <em>hoping</em>, and now they’ve got it, but it isn’t enough. It won’t feel like he’s safe until he gets Peter in his arms. It won’t feel like he’s made it out of the cave until he’s allowed to speak freely and rest easy, holding his kid in <em>their </em>home.<br/><br/></p><p>He hates feeling useless and like there’s nothing he can do. He’s felt like that for three months and he’s sick of it.<br/><br/></p><p>But there’s still lingering fear that if he steps out of line, Peter will be hurt for it.<br/><br/></p><p>So he keeps his mouth shut and lays still in the hospital bed.<br/><br/></p><p><br/>*<br/><br/><br/>“Knock, knock.”<br/><br/></p><p>Pepper pushes the door open and steps into his room.<br/><br/></p><p>It’s been at least six hours since she left, but Tony’s refused to sleep or move from his bed.<br/><br/></p><p>“Is Peter okay?”<br/><br/></p><p>She offers a soft smile and sits at the end of his bed again. She looks pretty, dressed professionally and well-rested. “He’s still asleep, but you’re allowed over. But first, I figured you’d like to know I have all of our employees working on recalling all of the weapons and all production has been frozen for the time being.”<br/><br/></p><p>All the worry rushes out of his body at once. “I can go see him?”<br/><br/></p><p>Pepper holds out her hand to him. “Yeah, come on.”<br/><br/></p><p>She leads him out of his hospital room and down the hall to another door. She pushes it open to reveal Peter lying in his own identical hospital bed. He has an oxygen mask and a heart monitor and plenty of needles and IV’s.<br/><br/></p><p>“He doesn’t like needles,” Tony says. He remembers Peter getting drugged back in that cave and his stomach clenches. “Is he- He looks so pale, Pepper, is he-”<br/><br/></p><p>“He’s okay, Tony,” Pepper murmurs, wrapping her free arm around his shoulders and leading him to the chair beside the bed. “He lost quite a bit of blood but he’s on the mend.”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony lets go of Pepper’s hand to hold Peter’s, gently squeezing his cold hand. “He can’t thermoregulate. Would you- Would you turn up the heat?”<br/><br/></p><p>Pepper does as asked, barely taking her eyes of Tony as she does. “He’s going to be okay, Tony, you don’t need to worry.”<br/><br/></p><p>Shaking his head, Tony murmurs a quiet, <em>I know</em>, before tuning her out, focusing solely on the beeping heart monitor.<br/><br/></p><p>Pepper leaves him not long later, murmuring something about checking on the progress of his requests, but he doesn’t care. He only cares about Peter’s cold hand in his.<br/><br/></p><p>As soon as the door shuts behind her, Peter peeks one of his eyes open. “Mister Stark?”<br/><br/></p><p>“You’re a little shit, you know that? I hate you,” Tony says, making sure to throw as much sarcasm and relief into his voice. “They took you to <em>surgery</em>, you realize, for injuries you never bothered to tell me about.”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter shrugs, sitting up in bed despite Tony’s protests, and pulling his oxygen mask down so it hands around his neck. “My bad? I heal quick, don’t worry.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Don’t worry?” Tony repeats incredulously, grip tightening on Peter’s hand. “Do you have any idea how long your list of injuries is?”<br/><br/></p><p>“I was in Afghanistan for <em>seven months</em>, Tony. There was a lot that happened before you were there anyways.” Peter shakes his head, blinking the haunted look out of his eyes, and grinning. “Either way, I feel wonderful but absolutely famished if you’ve got some food around here.”<br/><br/></p><p>“If I have food?” The teasing joke dies in his throat though. Even if Tony’s always had food, will always have food stocking his kitchen a few floors up, Tony can’t even imagine how unstable even basic necessities are for Peter.<br/><br/></p><p>Peter shrugs again, looking at Tony expectantly.<br/><br/></p><p>“Let’s get you cleared by a doctor first, I’m not about to let you wander about without permission.”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony hits the button for the doctor to come and looks at Peter with a squinted expression. “I’m guessing you have questions?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Where are we? Please don’t say New York. And what the fuck? And also, who was just in here?”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony can’t help but to laugh and with the way Peter looks up at him with a wide-eyed expression, Tony wonders if he’s ever done that around the kid. “You’re in California, right now. My Malibu Mansion. And Pepper was in here, my assistant.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Like Barbie?”<br/><br/></p><p>Before Tony can say anything, Cho walks into the room, sporting a professional smile.<br/><br/></p><p>“Hello, Mister Stark, nice to see you looking a little better, as you, Mister Parker,” she says. “How are you feeling?”<br/><br/></p><p>The nonchalant, confident Peter from seconds ago seems to have disappeared leaving an anxious shell. His fingers shift restlessly and his mouth is set in a firm line, eyes focused on the floor.<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m fine.”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony nudges Peter’s arm. “You have to be honest with the doctor, kiddo, she’s just here to help.”<br/><br/></p><p>The kid’s eyes flicker to Tony before falling back to the ground. Quietly, almost too quietly for Tony to pick up on, he asks, “You promise?”<br/><br/></p><p>“I promise, buddy. Miss Cho just wants to get you back on your feet, just like I do, I trust her.”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter sniffles, chewing on his bottom lip. “My chest hurts and my stomach.”<br/><br/></p><p>Had Tony been the first person Peter allowed himself to trust? That kind of pressure is almost too much for Tony to handle, squeezing Peter’s hand in his. He doesn’t know <em>how </em>to be that person for the kid. All he knows for sure is that he cares and that he needs the kid to be okay, to feel safe, to have a home in Tony, and he knows that’ll be enough to guide him through the motions.<br/><br/></p><p>“That’s to be expected,” Cho says, voice gentler than before and she purposefully moves her hands to her hips so they’re both visible and weaponless. “You had quite a few ribs that were broken and healed improperly. You had a punctured lung when you got here, though it was pretty new. And we used medicines for enhanced people which comes with some side-effects like stomach pain.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Yikes,” Peter manages, letting out a choked laugh. “That sucks.”<br/><br/></p><p>And Cho smiles, nodding. “Yeah, it does. But we expect a full recovery within a few days with your healing.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Could I show him around? Get him some food upstairs?” Tony asks, squeezing Peter’s hand again, smiling when he gets a squeeze back.<br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah. I think I’d like to see him again tonight, especially if the chest pain persists, but as long as he takes it easy and rests, I think he’ll be alright to go.”<br/><br/></p><p>So Tony takes Peter’s hand, helps him out of the bed and leads him all the way up to the top floor of the mansion, without letting him go.<br/><br/></p><p>“You want something to eat?” Tony offers, leading him to the kitchen that Pepper kept well stocked. He wouldn’t be surprised if she stayed on his floor while he was gone. “A sandwich?”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter’s face pinches like the idea of a sandwich makes him uncomfortable. “I, uh, I could just go for a can of green beans, honestly.”<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m not-” Tony cuts himself off and wonders if this is too big of a jump for the poor kid. Seven months living off gross food in a can, probably long passed the expiry date, in a damp cold cave, all the way to living in a luxurious mansion.<br/><br/></p><p>“I, uh, I don’t mind. Whatever works. I just- I don’t know, this is a lot,” Peter says apprehensively. “A little overwhelming.”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony can’t physically give him a can of green beans. He can’t do it, but he can do regular fresh green beans and hope it’ll be okay.<br/><br/></p><p>“I don’t know if I ever told you, but I, uh, my mom was Mary Parker, well Fitzpatrick. And believe it or not, she was amazing. She loved me so much. I remember she used to make sandwiches for my dad to take to work with him. She used to hang out with me all day while he was working. She would always tease him for wanting the crusts cut off his sandwiches,” Peter explains quietly over his green beans.<br/><br/></p><p>Tony can’t help but notice that Peter doesn’t even try to pick up the fork left for him.<br/><br/></p><p>It was the same kind of thing for Tony, though. His mom was amazing, loved Tony unconditionally, but she also loved Howard unconditionally despite his devotion to work that took away from them.<br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah?”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter’s eyes flicker up to Tony. “Yeah. But in the end, she didn’t put up a fight when my dad took me away. She just kissed my forehead and said goodbye like she couldn’t stop it from happening.”<br/><br/></p><p>“Nobody’s taking you from me,” Tony says. He doesn’t know if that’s what Peter’s hinting at, but he needs the kid to understand it anyways. “I will fight tooth and nail if anybody tries to take you from me. I’m not letting you go, <em>ever</em>.”<br/><br/></p><p>And Peter’s shoulders droop, blinking a few times. “Yeah, of course, yeah. I know. I just- I don’t know. This is really new to me.”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony offers a reassuring smile. “It’s new to me too, don’t worry, but I know for sure that you can’t rid of me anymore. You’ve got me on your side. No matter what.”<br/><br/></p><p>Nodding, Peter finishes off his green beans and offers a tentative smile. “Thank you.”<br/><br/></p><p>“You don’t have to thank me for this one, kid… I’ve also decided to stop all weapon production. Pepper’s recalling everything, making sure none get made from us anymore. I should’ve realized how much harm they were doing earlier-”<br/><br/></p><p>“Yeah, of course, that’s good,” Peter says, cutting him off. He looks paler than he had seconds earlier and Tony realizes Peter probably doesn’t want to hear about <em>weaponry</em> this soon after their rescue. “Could I actually lay down for a bit? You heard Miss Cho, gotta get my beauty sleep.”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony shows Peter to his bedroom, making a mental note to thank Happy for the very quick work he did in fixing up the bedroom right beside Tony’s.<br/><br/></p><p>“Get some rest, kid. Let me know if you need anything, alright? I’m just next door,” Tony murmurs. He pauses at the doorway, hand hovering over the lightswitch.<br/><br/></p><p>“Could you, uh, could you just leave it on?” Peter asks, letting out a nervous laugh. “I’d rather not be in the dark anymore, you know?”<br/><br/></p><p>“Course, kid, yeah.”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter nods a few times, sitting on the edge of his new bed. “Night, Mister Stark.”<br/><br/></p><p>Later, Tony will realize that as soon as he closes the door beside him, Peter races into the connecting bathroom to throw up and talk himself out of a panic attack before bed.<br/><br/></p><p>Later, he’ll realize Peter moves the pillow and a few blankets onto the floor because he doesn’t feel comfortable on the soft mattress after seven months on the godawful cot.<br/><br/></p><p>Later, he’ll learn that Peter curls up in a tight ball and cries himself to sleep.<br/><br/></p><p>But for the moment, Tony just turns and closes the door, unable to offer any help if Peter doesn’t want it. He just hopes Peter will come to him if he needs it.<br/><br/></p><p><br/>*<br/><br/><br/>Tony jerks awake at the sound of his door opening. He hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but he supposes even he has to sleep at some point.<br/><br/></p><p>He’s reaching for his nightstand, for some weapon, when the light spills in to reveal Peter standing there.<br/><br/></p><p>The kid is crying quietly, shuffling on his feet like he can’t make up his mind, and then he’s scurrying into the room on almost silent feet.<br/><br/></p><p>“Kid?” Tony murmurs, slowly lifting up in bed to squint at the kid who jumps at his voice.<br/><br/></p><p>“Mister Stark,” Peter cries, hands lifting out towards him. A child asking to be held. “Can’t- I can’t sleep alone, I can’t-”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony shushes him gently, silently lifting his blankets.<br/><br/></p><p>The kid crawls into the bed without a second thought, curling up against Tony’s side like they’re still sleeping on the tiny cot. He hides his face in Tony’s shirt, nearly cutting his cheek on the edge of the arc reactor, crying into the fabric.<br/><br/></p><p>“I- I dreamt I was drowning and I- I couldn’t get to you and I tried- I tried so hard, Mister Stark, but I couldn’t- I couldn’t-”<br/><br/></p><p>Tony gently smooths back Peter’s curls, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “We’re okay, kiddo. I’ve got you. We’re safe now, we’re out of there. We’re safe, I promise.”<br/><br/></p><p>“I just wanted my nigh’light,” Peter admits through his hiccuping sobs, shaking fingers tapping on the glowing arc reactor. “I- I- I woke up and I thought you were gone.”<br/><br/></p><p>“I’m here, bambi, I’ve got you.” Tony wraps an arm tightly around Peter’s waist, holding him close.<br/><br/></p><p>Tony keeps up a litany of reassurances and soothing words until Peter’s trembling ceases and his tears slow, knowing that they’re safe now so the words are what matters, not just another way to get them through the pain.<br/><br/></p><p>“Get some rest, kiddo, I’ve got you, I’m here,” Tony murmurs, kissing his forehead again.<br/><br/></p><p>“They’re not- They’re not coming back?”<br/><br/></p><p>Rage flashes through Tony’s chest and he silently swears he’ll kill every single person who hurt Peter with his bare hands. For now, he soothes Peter’s fears softly. “No, you’re safe now. I’m going to protect you, kid, I’ve got you.”<br/><br/></p><p>“You won’t- You won’t send me away?”<br/><br/></p><p>“You’re <em>my </em>kid now, Peter, nothing’s going to take us away from each other, okay? I promise and I don’t break my promises, do I?”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter giggles through the leftover tears, his laughter like the sun finally peeking through the clouds after a storm. “No, you don’t.”<br/><br/></p><p>“See? I promise you, it’s going to be me and you now, and I’m going to keep you safe.”<br/><br/></p><p>Peter finally relaxes, eventually slipping back to sleep in Tony’s arms.<br/><br/></p><p>And it’s not <em>okay</em>, they’re still pretty far from it, but for now, it’s enough. It’s enough to hold each other close and rest.<br/><br/></p><p>Later, there will be a lot to deal with, a lot to work through, the longest list of trauma to face, but as long as they have each other, there’s nothing they can’t do.<br/><br/></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>kinda lowkey don't like the ending but yk it's all good </p><p>comments and kudos fuel my writing (i'm going to finish febuwhump i swear) </p><p>
  <a href="https://lyssismagical.tumblr.com/">My Tumblr</a>
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